Oblivious
by hostclubmanager17
Summary: In which Yamaguchi is totally unaware of the relationships around him until they're spelled out for him
1. Chapter 1

**Whoo! Writing a story that isn't Ouran or Thomas Sanders? What is going on? And when I have ALL THESE OTHER CHAPTERS I SHOULD BE WRITING INSTEAD OF THIS? WHAT THE HELL, ME?**

 **To anyone who is waiting for my other stories, I'm sorry, but my writer's block is still going strong, so I figured I'd write something different for a change before going back. It's worked out for me before.**

 **Fair warning, this is the first Haikyuu story I've ever written.**

* * *

"Yamaguchi? Aren't you finished yet?"

"Just a sec! Sorry, Tsukki!"

"Well, hurry up. Or I'll lock you in."

"Wait!"

Yamaguchi's head jerked up, staring at the door in confusion as Daichi and Sugawara ran into the club room. What were they doing back here? They'd left nearly five minutes ago along with most of the others, leaving Yamaguchi and Tsukkishima alone to finish changing and locking up.

"Dai-san? Suga-san? Is something wrong?"

"Ah…" Sugawara gave him a sheepish smile, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his head. "I can't find my phone and I'm hoping it's somewhere in here?"

Immediately, Yamaguchi dropped his bag on the bench, giving the 3rd years a smile. "Oh, I'll help you find it!"

"Yamaguchi…"

"It'll only take a few seconds, Tsukki! Then we can leave!"

Tsukkishima gave him a little glare from the doorway before clicking his tongue and pulling back. But the door didn't shut, and Yamaguchi didn't hear heavy footsteps walking away, so he knew Tsukki wouldn't leave him behind.

Not that Yamaguchi assumed he would. Because he never did.

The three spread out in the club room, looking in lockers and under spare sheets of paper. Yamaguchi wrinkled his nose upon finding a half-completed, week-old math assignment with Hinata's name scrawled on the top when a loud smacking sound echoed through the room. He spun around, raising an eyebrow at the palm-shaped red mark now appearing on Sugawara's forehead. Yamaguchi could practically hear Tsukki's barb about losing brain cells in the back of his mind. His lips curled into the hint of a smile.

"I'm so dumb! Daichi! Call my phone!"

"What? Oh... duh."

Fishing his own phone out of his pant's pocket, Daichi pressed the screen a few times before looking up. A few seconds later, and Yamaguchi faintly heard… what was that?

" _Hello? Hellooo? Can anybody hear me? I'm just a lil' telephone! But I've been cruelly kidnapped, and I'm being held inside this person's pocket! Maybe you can fish me out? Somebody please, call the police!_ "

Rolling his eyes, but unable not to smile at the funny ringtone, Yamaguchi followed the quiet sounds over to his bag. Lifting it off the bench, Yamaguchi blushed. There it was. He'd actually set his volleyball bag on top of Suga-san's cell phone without even realizing it. Damn, how dumb.

"Suga-san, I found it-"

He paused, staring at the screen. It was lit up with Daichi's contact name… and...

"Oh, thank god!" Suga ran up to Yamaguchi's side and grabbed his phone, declining the call and making the screen go black. "Thank you both so much!"

Yamaguchi nodded as he was given a really hard "pat" before Sugawara went off to thank Daichi as well. He stared after Sugawara, though, unable to look away.

Because Sugawara had Daichi's number saved under the name Daichi-kun with red heart emojis framing the characters.

Did Daichi know? Was Sugawara playing a prank on him? Was it a leftover joke on Sugawara he just never got around to fixing? Was it a joke on _Daichi_?

"Thank you, too, Dai-kun." And with that, Sugawara threw his arms around Daichi's shoulders, nuzzling his nose against his neck before pulling away.

Yamaguchi managed to not openly gape as the two 3rd years left, Daichi using a hand on Sugawara's lower back to steer him while Sugawara scrolled through the texts he'd received while his phone was "missing".

 _When… when did_ that _happen? Are they a-_

"Yamaguchi? I swear, if you're still not ready I will _actually_ leave you behind for once."

"Ah! C-coming, Tsukki!"

Pushing Sugawara and Daichi as far back into his mind as he could manage, Yamaguchi ran out of the clubroom, Hinata's poorly done and ridiculously late assignment still in his hands, ready to be made fun of.

*\/*

A week went by and, to Yamaguchi's surprise, nothing was really different. After the first night of revisiting nearly every moment he'd witnessed between Daichi and Sugawara, Yamaguchi realized he didn't have anyone to blame but himself for not seeing it sooner. The close contact, the smiles... heck, even the punches from Sugawara after Daichi scared the hell out of him made a lot more sense now.

But regardless of Yamaguchi's self-proclaimed stupidity and his newly possessed information, volleyball practice went on as per usual. And so did the rest of Yamaguchi's life. Coach Ukai still treated the team to meat buns once a week, Hinata and Kageyama still bickered like it was the only way for them to breathe, and Tsukki still walked Yamaguchi home after practice.

Except today.

"Ah, Tsukki? I'm heading this way."

Yamaguchi knew he didn't have to phrase it like that. Tsukki knew he had extra pinch serving practice with Shimada-san every Tuesday and Thursday night. Yamaguchi could just say goodbye to his friend and part ways without missing a beat if he wanted.

But…

Tsukkishima made a low humming noise in his throat before saying, "Don't forget to study for the math test tomorrow."

Yamaguchi smiled and agreed before exchanging goodbyes with Tsukkishima and parting ways. He was still smiling as he walked, a newfound pep in his step. _Tsukki's so nice when he wants to be. I guess he noticed how I've been having trouble with this latest chapter. I wish I could've studied with him tonight…_

Right before Yamaguchi rounded the corner to the main street, a loud voice stops him in his tracks. It sounded like…

 _Is that Tanaka-san?_

Sure enough, when Yamaguchi peeked around the corner, he saw Tanaka, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita walking on the other side of the street. They were walking in pairs to leave room for passing cars, each boy holding a different kind of ice cream. Only three of them were enjoying their treats, however, while Tanaka waved his around in the air to emphasize whatever story he was loudly sharing. Yamaguchi was surprised to see them. He'd never run into his teammates on his walk before. And even more surprising was to see Tanaka and the other second years without Nishinoya bouncing around as well.

Deciding he was done hiding from his teammates for no good reason, Yamaguchi straightened his back and walked around the corner. He was in the process of raising a hand in greeting when he faltered.

The four boys had passed the street Yamaguchi was on, so now he could see them from the back. Tanaka and Ennoshita were at the front, and while Tanaka's right hand was waving around wildly, his popsicle slowly beginning to drip over his fingers, his left was holding Ennoshita's waist to keep the other boy pressed against his side. Kinoshita and Narita were linking pinkies as they walked behind the other two.

Not making any sudden moves, Yamaguchi carefully walked backwards until he could no longer see the second years. Then he clapped a hand over his mouth and let out a long breath, head falling back against the house behind him.

 _Holy shit… they're on a double date!_

*\/*

Learning about Daichi and Sugawara had been nothing. Super easy. One night of deep thought and Yamaguchi was good to go. But Tanaka and Ennoshita? Narita and Kinoshita?

… _Tanaka and Ennoshita?_

 _TANAKA?_

Yeah, the latest of Yamaguchi's revelations was a little harder to swallow. Probably because this time around he had little to no warning about their underlying romantic feelings beforehand. Which was more than a little insulting considering how much Yamaguchi ended up talking to the 2nd year "bench riders". He thought he knew them pretty well.

Whoop. Guess not.

The worst part is that now that he knows about it… he can't stop seeing it everywhere.

Ennoshita giving Tanaka small smiles, even if he's calling the other boy out for being dumb. Narita and Kinoshita snickering in the corner by themselves, faces too close to be considered "friendly". Daichi and Sugawara practicing receives… and Sugawara somehow convincing his boyfriend to "fix" his stance and now Daichi's hands were on Sugawara's hips and-

Yamaguchi startled when his water bottle was abruptly removed from his hands. Whipping his head around, he watched as Tsukkishima flipped the slowly dripping water bottle right side up before pressing it back into Yamaguchi's hands.

He blushed, realizing what had almost happened. "Ah… thanks, Tsukki."

"Be more careful next time."

Yamaguchi gives his friend a weak chuckle before taking a long drink, forcing his gaze to the ceiling. Not only was he trying to avoid staring at one of the couples again, but now he had to worry about Tsukki's gaze. While his friend might not ask outright, Yamaguchi knew he was curious about what was wrong. It's probably outrageously obvious that something had knocked Yamaguchi off balance, but he couldn't bring himself to say it outloud.

 _Am I the only one who knows? Was I the only one who_ didn't _know? Did they purposefully not tell me? Was I somehow putting out homophobic signals? They can't tell that I'm bisexual? Oh god, how would one even start that conversation? 'Hey, hi, sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but notice how gay you're all being and I was wondering if you wanted me to keep quiet about it or if you now want to kill me because I "know too much"?'_

"Hey, Yamaguchi!" This time it's Nishinoya who pulls Yamaguchi out of his thoughts. "C'mon! I want to practice receiving your jump float!"

Yamaguchi blinked before smiling, calling out, "You already have Asahi-san's power serve to worry about!"

But even as he spoke he had already set his water bottle back down on the bench and was jogging across the gym. He was glad that he got the chance to practice with Nishinoya-san. While he did get mixed feelings whenever his "senpai" did or didn't get his serve up in the air, it was probably one of the most symbiotic practice times of the whole team.

Oh, and Asahi-san, too, of course.

It was a shame the three really only got to practice like this for a half-hour at the end of afternoon practice, but it was a nice way to wind down and really hone their main skills. And now, it was also acting as a good way to get the couples out of Yamaguchi's head. When he really focused on his jump-float serves, he could shut out everything else, which is what he sorely needed right now.

Fifteen minutes in, and Yamaguchi was in the groove. He could finally land a majority of his serves in bounds, and more than half of them were missed, if not just by the tips of Nishinoya's fingertips. Yamaguchi could barely bite back his smile, so he didn't try. He was proud of his serves, and knew that Nishinoya never gave up a receive if he could get it. So all of the "points" Yamaguchi was earning were strictly his own.

He couldn't help but mentally preen a little when Nishinoya called out compliments. Yamaguchi could feel some eyes glancing in his direction whenever he moved to serve, watching the ball and trying to guess where it would land, only to be proved wrong every time. Even Tsukkishima watched sometimes, so long as he wasn't in the middle of blocking one of Tanaka's spikes.

Yamaguchi launched another serve, nose wrinkling when Nishinoya managed an overhand receive. He reached into the cart next to him, only to find it empty. He could start collecting the mess of volleyballs littering the court they were using, but decided to wait until after Asahi final serve so he could have some help.

The run up and swing are full of power, sending the ball in almost a straight line over the net. Nishinoya had to run and dive to catch it with his fist, sending the ball up and back over to Yamaguchi and Asahi's side.

Yamaguchi entertained the idea of calling out 'Chance ball' and going after it, like they were playing a real 2-on-1 game or something, but Nishinoya was faster.

"Nice serve, Babe!"

The words ring around the gym and the volleyballs stop flying momentarily as the rest of the team turns towards the trio at the far end. It's hard to tell which boy is more red in the face, Yamaguchi or Asahi.

Asahi breaks first, dropping his face into his hands and mumbling through them about how embarrassing it was for Nishinoya to just shout out that name in the middle of practice oh my gosh what was he _thinking?_ To his credit, Yamaguchi did not run to the nearest wall and begin bashing his forehead against it.

 _Oh god, here too?_

Nishinoya merely laughed, his arms winding across his belly as he threw his head back. "Oh man! Yamaguchi, you look so terrified! Sorry, but that wasn't aimed at you. Cute as you are, I'm a one-at-a-time kinda guy!"

Most of their teammates join in with their own laughter, teasing Asahi's over-the-top embarrassment or, in Suga's case, calling out, "I'd hope so, Noya, or I'd have to kick your ass for messing with Asahi's fragile heart!"

From there Sugawara and Nishinoya began shouting quips back to each other, typically involving either Asahi or Daichi and some sort of physical feature. The word 'ass' made a few replays, quickly followed by the word 'thighs'.

Yamaguchi thought he might have a stroke.

"Hey, want to head out early?" Tsukkishima had somehow moved across the gym without being noticed or stopped by someone. "I don't think they're going to notice we're missing. At least not before practice is called to an end."

Yamaguchi nodded mutely and followed Tsukki out the door.

 _Well… at least I know that Suga-san and Daichi-san aren't hiding it. And apparently, neither are Nishinoya-san and Asahi-san._

Because no one else had seemed surprised by Asahi's nickname.

No one but Yamaguchi.

*\/*

"Yamaguchi-san? Please take these notebooks to the faculty room and leave them at my desk before lunch."

Yamaguchi bit back a groan as he nodded, plodding up to the front desk where an unfair number of journals waited for him. His shoulders dropped as he stared at them. Damn… he could already feel the strain in his arms from carrying them. And he was hungry today, too, dammit.

"Want some help?"

Sighing, Yamaguchi shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Thanks for the offer, Tsukki, but you should go make sure no one takes our spot outside."

Tsukkishima's lips dipped into a quick frown before returning to a neutral flat. "Fine. I'll take your bento, too. Don't take too long."

"Sure thing."

And with that, Yamaguchi carefully pulled the pile off the desk and began making his way down the hallway towards the faculty room, in the direct opposite direction of Tsukkishima. In his head, Yamaguchi groaned. Sometimes he was too nice to his friend. Maybe he should've accepted the help? It didn't sound like Tsukki was unwilling… nah. He probably just doesn't want anyone to try to talk to him while he's alone. More often than not, girls were less likely to approach Tsukkishima if Yamaguchi was there, preferring to either wait or call Yamaguchi away.

Yamaguchi's eyes narrowed when he remembered how a girl's friend had called him away for what he assumed was a talk about Tsukki, only to find out she was meant to distract him so her friend could confess. That had bothered him much more than the usual questions about Tsukki's favorite this-and-that's. Tsukki _hated_ being cornered, just like he _hated_ sudden emotional confrontation. He once admitted that Yamaguchi's pre-emptive warnings about future confessions were a real help, letting him think the situation through before it even happened.

Tsukki had even gone slightly pink in the face, his fingers pinching Yamaguchi's school jacket while he thanked him. It was one of the cutest things Yamaguchi had ever seen!

In fact, the memory was so cute and vivid in Yamaguchi's head that he nearly walked right past the entrance to the faculty lounge without a second thought. Once he snapped out of his mental theater and spun around, the ache in his arms returned full force. Man… maybe he should start lifting weights? It would help with his volleyball skills, too. Maybe. Maybe Tsukki would even join him, though it wasn't like he needed any help with muscle build-

For the second time in the past ten minutes, Yamaguchi walked past his target. Face a light red, he quietly dropped the journals onto his history teacher's desk, hoping no one had seen his mistake.

Thankfully, after a quick look around the room, Yamaguchi was happy to note that none of the teachers there seemed to give two shits about his presence. Not even Takeda-sensei, who was seated at his own desk not even three meters away. Yamaguchi smiles, pleasantly surprised to see the team's faculty advisor a few hours earlier than planned. He quite liked Takeda-sensei. He might not be a coach, but he definitely cared about the team, and they all cared about him in return. Even-

Before Yamaguchi could wave at the advisor, _another_ familiar face walked into the faculty lounge. A few teachers watched with small smiles as Coach Ukai made his way around various desks and teachers, two bento boxes in the crook of his left arm. His right hand hung at his side until he reached Takeda-sensei. He tapped the teacher's right shoulder, sliding into the chair on his left while Takeda-sensei was distracted.

Yamaguchi's mouth fell open as he watched the two adults finally face each other, Takeda-sensei laughing to himself at the old-school prank while Ukai-san placed one of the lunches in front of him. Takeda-sensei lifted the lid on his lunch and beamed, giving Ukai-san his praise while the other man looked away, his ears turning red.

He had no idea how long he would've kept watching if his phone hadn't suddenly vibrated frantically in his pocket. Without even looking at the screen, Yamaguchi knew it was Tsukki asking what the hell was taking Yamaguchi so long.

Without hesitation, Yamaguchi walked out of the room, pulling his phone out as he went.

*\/*

Just when Yamaguchi didn't think it could get any worse…

He forgot his water bottle.

Literally a staple at sports games around the world, be it elementary students or professional athletes, and Yamaguchi freaking _forgot._ And he couldn't really blame anyone else but himself. He'd taken it home to be washed last night and didn't put it back in his bag, which meant he was now spending the short break before practice in the hot early-autumn sun to buy a bottle of water from the vending machines. Possibly two. Or three, depending on how hard they were driven in practice.

He decided to just stick with two. Tsukki had given him a few spare coins and Yamaguchi didn't want to waste any more of his money than necessary. Sure, he'd pay Tsukki back later, but that wasn't the point.

Sighing, Yamaguchi feeds the machine a few coins and presses the water button. As he waits for the bottle to drop so he can repeat the action, he thinks about how off center he's been lately. And he knows exactly why.

It was because of all the damn couples now surrounding him. There were five, when two weeks ago he thought there were zero. Yamaguchi just couldn't get over how dumb he must be to have missed all the signs until they were smacking him in the face. And clearly, he was the only one caught out of the loop. Even Tsukki took the blatant flirting in stride, not acting bothered by it in the slightest other than to add some new material to his bank of quips.

In other words, Yamaguchi was the only one acting weird by it. And Tsukki had the gall to call _him_ cool?

Granted, that had happened a month ago, but his argument still stands.

Still, at least the shock of it all was starting to wear off. There were only a handful of teammates left, and Yamaguchi knew that Tsukki wasn't dating anyone. And considering the last two were Hinata and Kageyama…

Yamaguchi smirked, the part of his brain that played along with Tsukkishima's saltiness coming into play. He let out a small laugh, tossing one of the bottles up into the air and catching it before rounding the corner to the gym entrance.

 _Nope. Nothing left to worry about-_

"Oh, for fucks sake!"

At his sudden shout, Kageyama hastily took three steps away from the wall he had been pinning Hinata against, his lips almost has dark a red as his face. Fortunately for Hinata, he'd had his legs wrapped around Kageyama's waist while he was being pinned, so Kageyama pulling away hadn't lead to any injuries.

Or, at least it wouldn't have if Yamaguchi hadn't also startled Hinata enough for him to lose his grip.

The small boy was dropped to the ground, resulting in a yelp and a hiss of 'Bakageyama' before he realized the situation they were in. At least he wasn't so much of an idiot that he wasn't embarrassed.

Yamaguchi watched with as blank of a face as he could muster while Kageyama and Hinata apologized profusely, not meeting Yamaguchi's eyes as they backed away. With one last 'see you at practice', they ran to the doors and bolted inside.

Once they were gone, Yamaguchi crouched down and pressed his cold water bottles against his forehead, trying to restart his brain.

 _Maybe if I'm lucky, I can find a way to drown myself with this water before practice starts._

*\/*

"I'm so freaking oblivious!"

"Hm?"

Tsukkishima's curious glance was ignored as Yamaguchi abruptly sat down with his back to the lockers. Then he buried his face in his hands and let out a mild scream of frustration. He had just gone through what was probably the most uncomfortable practice in his life, and now that everyone else had gone for the night he was ready to explode.

Kageyama and Hinata had been shooting Yamaguchi fearful or apologetic looks all throughout practice before practically bolting from the gym when Coach blew the final whistle. And while everyone thought the early departure was weird, they thankfully didn't ask the other 1st years what had happened. Yamaguchi was sure his red face would've given it all away.

"What are you so oblivious about?"

Yamaguchi let his head fall backwards against the lockers, turning to look at Tsukki. He had paused in the middle of changing, wearing his practice shirt and uniform pants, and was now staring down at Yamaguchi.

"Oh, nothing, Tsukki… just the fact that I didn't know the entire volleyball club was made up of couples until I saw them going on dates or using _pet names or kissing AGAINST A WALL!_ " Yamaguchi let out another small scream and smacked his face with his hands, grinding them against his cheeks. "Because, you know, I couldn't pick up on the not-so-subtle signs beforehand! God, I'm a moron…"

At his confession, Tsukkishima actually turned his whole body to face Yamaguchi. "You seriously didn't notice?"

" _No…_ "

"How is that possible? Most of them are all over each other during practice."

"I see that _now!_ I guess before, I just…" Yamaguchi hesitated.

Before he was confronted with the evidence face-to-face, he never really thought twice about the odd closeness between the different pairs on the team. He sort of… brushed it off as how he and Tsukki interacted with each other. Maybe not exactly the same, but with similar underlying tones of affection and closeness and trust.

Hence, the reason behind Yamaguchi's conflicting thoughts. Because whenever he saw the multiple couples talking or otherwise interacting with each other… they unearthed the unnervingly big dopey crush Yamaguchi had on Tsukkishima. Y'know, the one he'd spent the past two or three years keeping under wraps?

Yeah. That mess.

"You just… what?"

Jolting back into the real world, Yamaguchi flailed for a different route. "I mean, I guess I sort of _knew_ , I just never connected the final piece. I mean, Kageyama and Hinata are a buy-one-get-one-free deal, same with Nishinoya-san and Asahi-san. Daichi-san and Suga-san were always kinda an item… but I never realized when they crossed the border into _relationships._ "

Tsukkishima made a brief humming noise in the back of his throat as he pulled his practice shirt over his head. He was amused. Just as Yamaguchi predicted he would be. But before he could be told off, however-

"I suppose your, quote unquote, "obliviousness" isn't entirely your fault. Until Suga-san figured out that Coach and Sensei were a couple, everyone else did their best to keep their relationships under wraps. They all only recently decided to be more open about their relationships around the rest of the club, figuring that if everyone else was gay, no one was going to give them shit for it."

"Why didn't you ever _tell me?_ You clearly knew about it!"

"You're the one who talks the most when we walk home. Since you never brought it up I assumed you didn't want to talk about it or found it interesting."

Yamaguchi gave his friend the stink eye before dropping his forehead against his knees. "I feel like an idiot."

Tsukki made another wordless noise, his trademark "tch", as he reached into Yamaguchi's locker and pushed the boy's clothes out so they fell on his head. "Don't forget to change. And I disagree with you. Now, if you had been unaware that _we've_ been dating, then you might've been an idiot, but-"

"Wait, we're _what?_ "

The two boys stared at each other, Yamaguchi's eyes and mouth open wide while Tsukkishima looked like he was holding back a scream. In the brief silence, Yamaguchi's school clothes fell off his head, landing on the floor with a soft ' _thump_ '.

"Please don't say I heard you right."

"Tsukki… did you say that we're _dating?_ "

"Oh god, you did say it." Then Tsukkishima doubled over and laughed. "Oh my god! You actually didn't _know?_ "

"W-wait! You aren't joking? When did this happen? Why… why haven't you… why didn't you _say something, Tsukki, Jesus!_ "

"I asked you out on our first date three weeks ago!"

"What?"

"You don't remember?" Tsukkishima's laughter was quieting now as he knelt down beside Yamaguchi. "We were watching that weird mermaid documentary you were so excited about and when you came back from the kitchen you brought out two slices of strawberry shortcake. You said you spent the whole day trying making it, knowing I was coming over. And after I took a moment to process how absolutely adorable you looked with your big proud smile and the plates of cake in hand, I said-"

"Date me." Yamaguchi clapped his hands over his mouth, embarrassed at both what he just said and understanding what had actually gone down that afternoon.

He buried his face in his hands while Tsukki continued, "So you do remember. When you smiled, blushed, and said 'Sure, so long as you don't hog the bedcovers', I assumed that you understood I was being serious about it."

Yamaguchi slid his hands against his cheeks, pulling back on his freckled skin as he stared at the floor. "Oh my god, I _am_ an idiot."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you this time around."

Nibbling his lip, Yamaguchi risked a peek at Tsukkishima. He was no longer kneeling, now sitting comfortably at Yamaguchi's side. They made eye contact briefly before Yamaguchi looked down again.

"So… now what?"

"Well, since that for the last three weeks only one of us was in a relationship, I'd like to think that if _both_ of us were in a relationship _together_ we'd be even happier."

"You… were happy to be dating me?"

"Yes, though now I'm concerned that I've been looking at your intelligence with rose-tinted glasses."

Yamaguchi pressed his forehead against his knees again, hoping he'd eventually fold in on himself enough to vanish into nothingness. "Blocked."

"Wait, unblock me, I have something important to tell you."

"Unblocked."

"Date me."

Yamaguchi couldn't fully muffle the squeak he let out, or tamp down the flush that was definitely spreading past his cheeks and to his ears. But after a few seconds of minor hyperventilating and a possible heart attack, he was able to glance at Tsukkishima out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes."

""Yes" you will date me or "yes" something else? I've learned my lesson, Yamaguchi, and I won't make the same mistake twi-"

Then it was Tsukkishima's turn to make an embarrassing noise, eyes wide as he stared down his nose at the boy now kissing him. Yamaguchi's hands were clutching at his school shirt that had fallen on the floor, his eyes screwed shut as he kept their mouths pressed together for a few more seconds.

Pulling away, he found it difficult to open his eyes beyond a squint.

"Guess I was right." Tsukkishima was adjusting his glasses with his whole hand, trying in vain to hide his bright red face. "Both of us dating is much better than just me dating you."

"You're so mean to me…"

"But I do it with affection."

"Still mean."

"Shall I make it up to you? We do have three weeks to catch up on."

"Tsukki, do me a favor and shut up."

"Help me out?"

This time Tsukkishima closed the distance between them, one of his hands coming up to caress Yamaguchi's cheek as they sank against each other.

Yamaguchi had just reached up to wind his arms around Tsukkishima's neck when his _boyfriend_ pulled back, a thoughtful expression on his face.

" _What?_ " Oh lord, his voice sounded so weak. Damn, they'd only started this kissing thing thirty seconds ago! Tsukkishima Kei was going to be the death of him.

"Does this mean you also didn't or you don't know that Yachi and Kiyoko-san are dating?"

"...Huh?"

"Dear god, I fell for one of the idiots I make fun of."

"Hm, maybe I am an idiot. I did say 'yes' to dating you."

"The second time I asked."

"This is going to be the story you use to embarrass me for the rest of our lives, isn't it?"

Yamaguchi instantly flinched, trying to think of a way to change the words he just said. They'd only been dating for three weeks -or one minute, depending on who you asked- and he was already talking about how he wanted to live the rest of his life with Tsukki.

But his boyfriend only smirked, leaning down to kiss him again, bring with him the ghost of the word, " _Absolutely._ "

* * *

 **Alright, I wrote most of this out over the span of two hours before going to work, so I'm not sure how good this actually is. Also, I've never written an Haikyuu story before. I hope I did well with the characterizations.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my gosh! So many people liked my other Haikyuu story! That's crazy! And really awesome at the same time! So, even though no one asked for it, I've decided to try my hand and writing a chapter 2. I have other Haikyuu story ideas, too, so… let's see if this can snap me out of my writing funk!**

 **I don't know when I got this idea, but once I got it I couldn't focus on any of my other Haikyuu ideas, so I guess this is what we're going with now. I hope you like it and I hope that my Tsukishima isn't OOC.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own this at all.**

* * *

One Month in Paradise

"Whoa… so cool!"

Tsukkishima didn't know what to say, so he didn't speak. That was something he was pretty good at now that he thought about it. Judgemental silence or sarcasm. One or the other. So, when he had to talk to people who he didn't _want_ to offend, Tsukishima usually found himself only offering blank expressions or half-hearted and all-too-often awkward words.

And now, watching Yamaguchi stare at the television screen with wide eyes and an even wider smile, Tsukishima attempted to convince himself that his being tongue-tied was only because of this predisposition. It had nothing at all to do with the fact that Tsukishima had had a crush on his best friend for the past two years. Not at all. And it certainly didn't have anything to do with the sudden onslaught of gay couples coming out of the closet within their volleyball team, either. The fact that everyone was together and Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were the only players who weren't in relationships, let alone a relationship _together_ , had nothing to do with the rapid heartbeat in Tsukishima's chest. And Tsukishima finding a journal at the bottom of Yamaguchi's desk drawer with a 'Bi-Pride' sticker on it didn't…

Okay, no, that one actually did make Tsukishima's face flush a little bit. But just a little.

"Tsukki, look! It's the CGI stuff again!"

"I see it." Tsukishima winced. Why did he have to sound so bored all the time?

But when Yamaguchi turned his head away from the screen to face Tsukishima, he was still smiling. "I think they have a Megalodon in this part, too! What do you think it'll look like?"

"Probably just a big shark."

Yamaguchi hummed and turned back to the screen, drawing his knees up to hug them against his chest as he waited. And while a part of Tsukishima wanted to watch as well, if only to participate in what was clearly interesting for Yamaguchi, he found it rather difficult to focus on anything _but_ the other boy. In all honesty, he was starting to feel like a bit of a creeper.

"Awww…" Yamaguchi suddenly jutted his lower lip out in a pout, causing Tsukishima's heart to skip a beat. "They didn't show it."

"Maybe it's in the next segment."

"Maybe…" The pout remained for a few more seconds before Yamaguchi perked up yet again, turning away from the commercial. "Oh, hey! I almost forgot! I have something for you!"

"For me? What?"

"Hold on! I'll get it!" And with that, Yamaguchi was up and walking away. Tsukishima let his head fall against the back of the couch in order to watch as Yamaguchi went into his family's kitchen.

There was the sound of clinking plates and the refrigerator door opening and closing, and if Tsukishima strained his ears just a bit, he could also pick out Yamaguchi's humming. A personality trait he'd picked up from his father that Tsukishima hadn't realized until he first spent the night over at Yamaguchi's house a few years ago. Letting his eyes drift away from the kitchen entryway, Tsukishima looked around the sitting room. Not much had changed since then. A few more pictures and knick-knacks, perhaps. Some that Tsukishima himself was in, just like how Yamaguchi was in more than a few photos at Tsukishima's own house.

The sound of floorboards creaking brought Tsukishima's attention back towards the kitchen, and his mouth instantly watered. Yamaguchi was back, and this time he was holding two plates in his hands, each of them with a beautiful looking slice of strawberry shortcake plopped on top of them. Tsukishima's first reaction was to reach out both of his hands over the back of the couch and order 'Gimme', but he restrained himself for the time being. What was Yamaguchi doing with cake at his house? Neither of his parents were huge sweet fans, so usually the two of them just ordered strawberry shortcake for themselves by the slice in town. And Yamaguchi usually got a slice of chocolate instead. What was with the sudden treat?

Probably realizing all the questions flying through Tsukishima's head, Yamaguchi let out a few shy giggles as he shuffled his feet. "I kinda found a recipe online by accident and decided to try my hand at it, since I knew you were coming over today. The first try kinda got burnt but I did okay with this one."

"Date me."

Tsukishima needed to invest in a roll of duct tape and somehow train himself to slap a piece onto his mouth right before spoke aloud for the rest of his life. It was hard to tell whose face was burning hotter at that moment. Yamaguchi's eyes went wide, but in a different way than they had earlier, and Tsukishima's heart actually stopped beating in his chest. Ah, mortification… Tsukishima hadn't felt _that_ particular emotion in a while.

Then Yamaguchi smiled. He giggled, shoulders hunching a little as he turned his head to the right, his blush fading to more of a pinkish tinge. Once he regained control over his laughter, Yamaguchi turned back to Tsukishima, the endearing sparkle back in his eyes.

"Sure, Tsukki. Just don't hog the bed covers and I'm all yours."

 _Holy shit._

He couldn't believe that worked.

Tsukishima could hardly focus the rest of the night. The rest of the mermaid documentary and dinner passed by in a blur and before he knew it Tsukishima found himself standing outside the Yamaguchi's front door. His friend stood on the inside, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe as he gazed up at Tsukishima. God, he hoped he didn't have any food stuck to his face.

"Maybe I should make you cake more often. You haven't stopped smiling since I gave it to you."

Oh god, he's been smiling this whole time?

"Please don't. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Mmm, true. Okay, I'll never make you-"

"No, stop. That's not what I meant."

Yamaguchi burst out laughing, looking all sorts of cute as he brought a hand up in a half-hearted attempt to hide his snorts. Tsukishima _knows_ he's smiling this time as he waits for Yamaguchi to calm down. He… he sort of wants…

"Well, I won't keep you. We have school tomorrow and a long practice after that. Night, Tsukki. Text me when you get home."

"I will. Goodnight, Yamaguchi."

And with one final smile and an exchanged wave, the door shut in Tsukishima's face. It was only then that Tsukishima realized he had sort of wanted to kiss him. He might've stood there for a tad longer than necessary, but eventually he did turn around and start walking home. Given he didn't live even a full three blocks away, it wasn't long before Tsukishima was walking through his own front door, calling out a greeting to his mother.

"Hello, Kei! How was your little movie with Tadashi-kun?"

"...Actually, Mom, there's something I need to tell you."

*\/*

To say the next day was stressful for Tsukishima was an understatement.

First, he'd had to endure his mother's rather enthusiastic celebration of her son's first official relationship, mainly on how much she adored 'Tadashi-kun' and was so happy that Kei felt comfortable coming out to her. The rainbow-dyed rice for breakfast had been a little overzealous for his taste, but he ate it anyways.

Then came his and Yamaguchi's morning walk to school. As per usual, Yamaguchi had the faintest of bags under his eyes and he periodically yawned in between his running commentary of what was to be covered in his classes that day. Tsukishima hummed along like he usually did, but for once he was unable to focus at all on Yamaguchi's words. He was a bit too preoccupied working up the nerve to grab hold of Yamaguchi's hand.

He could picture it, reaching out and gently threading their fingers together. Yamaguchi's words tapering off as he looked down at their hands, blushing as he looked back up at Tsukishima's face, maybe whispering that cutesy nickname he gave Tsukishima all those years ago. Then he'd probably smile and continue talking, swinging their hands back and forth in between them as they kept walking to school.

Now, if only he could actually _do it._

Every time he started to reach out, Tsukishima withdrew his hand right before their fingers brushed. He didn't know what was holding him back. He was sure that whatever reaction Yamaguchi had to holding hands with him it would be a positive one, so what was it?

Yamaguchi turned his head to face Tsukishima and he was quick to adopt a neutral expression once again.

"Tsukki, do you think anyone else on the team watched that documentary?"

"Maybe."

Maybe he could hold his hand on the way back home.

School was terrible. Being in a different class than Yamaguchi had always been a bit of a burden to Tsukishima, but he usually was able to reason that it was the better alternative. Fantasizing about Yamaguchi was less embarrassing, in Tsukishima's opinion, than outright staring at the back of the boy's head in the middle of class, where anyone could see him. This way, he had some form of control over his own thoughts. So long as the physical embodiment of his affections wasn't in the same room, Tsukishima could tune out the thoughts and force himself to concentrate on his schoolwork a good 90% of the time.

But now, the day after they finally crossed that fine line between friends and lovers, Tsukishima's concentration had been thrown into the metaphorical trash can. He only rarely resurfaced from his thoughts of freckled cheeks and a stupid, persistent cowlick, enough to write down all the notes he'd need to complete that night's homework assignment, but actually retaining the information being fed to him by his teachers? Not happening.

Would the daydreaming fade away eventually? It had before… back when Tsukishima had first realized that what he felt for Yamaguchi was _definitely_ more than a schoolyard crush. Maybe, once the novelty of their relationship faded a bit, Tsukishima wouldn't have to be so worried about flunking his classes. If not, then getting into college might be a little more difficult that he first imagined.

Lunch was _slightly_ better, in his eyes. The two of them had sat outside in the courtyard, as per usual, and while Yamaguchi gleefully recounted the latest gossip topic in his class he'd overheard, Tsukishima let their knees gently knock together. Usually to accentuate his opinion on whatever Yamaguchi was talking about at the moment. That kind of touching wasn't so hard… so why had he still failed to grab Yamaguchi's hand when they walked back to class afterwards? Was it the people around them? The setting? The fact that Yamaguchi also wasn't initiating touch between them?

His hesitation bothered Tsukishima for the rest of the day. Enough so that he couldn't even find some form of solace in the fact that his and Yamaguchi's new relationship was given a secretive, yet warm, reception from the other members. Even when Yachi conspiringly whispered to Tsukishima that she was so happy that Yamaguchi would no longer need to gush about how much he liked Tsukishima to her, Tsukishima barely managed to hold his irritation at bay.

Why did this have to be so frustrating? Clearly, everyone already knew that they were a couple and were supportive, so why couldn't he just suck it up and hold his boyfriend's damn hand?!

Watching the other couples interact and touch _so easily_ wasn't helping either. Maybe he didn't want to be all over Yamaguchi like Sugawara and Daichi were, but he did want _something_. But he just… _couldn't._

And it sucked more than usual, because Yamaguchi was starting to get the brunt of Tsukishima's irritation.

"Yamaguchi, aren't you finished yet?"

"Just a sec! Sorry, Tsukki!"

"Well, hurry up. Or I'll lock you in."

"Wait!"

Tsukishima stepped back as Daichi and Sugawara ran past him and into the club room. He watched in silence as Sugawara explained that his cell phone was missing.

And then Yamaguchi offered to help look for it.

In his mounting irritation, Tsukishima almost wanted to insist that since it was Suga's own fault for losing his phone, Yamaguchi shouldn't waste his time by helping. But he didn't, because Daichi could assign extra laps to him if he was too mouthy towards the club's vice captain. And, in all honesty, Sugawara scared him to some degree. So instead, he went to remind Yamaguchi that by staying behind, he was also keeping _Tsukishima_ from going home as well.

"Yamaguchi…"

"It'll only take a few seconds, Tsukki! Then we can leave!"

And that was it. It didn't take a mind-reader to know that Yamaguchi's choice was now set in stone. He might enjoy cutting stupid people down a peg as much as Tsukishima did, but the difference between them was that Yamaguchi was, by default, _nice_ to people. He'd call people out on their shit, but if someone needed his help it was a no brainer to him on whether he'd help or not.

So, Tsukishima did the only thing he could do. He clicked his tongue to display his annoyance and pulled away from the doorway to wait. What other option was there? Leaving Yamaguchi behind was a 'no-go' scenario, _especially_ not on their first night as a couple. Which also meant he couldn't tell Yamaguchi to forget about his promise to Sugawara and just leave without helping, because just because they were dating didn't mean that Yamaguchi couldn't be around others. Nor did it mean Tsukishima could control Yamaguchi. That's not why they started dating!

They were dating because… because they _liked_ each other. Tsukishima _liked_ how kind Yamaguchi was. He _liked_ how the boy was slightly awkward in new situations. He _liked_ how he could chatter on and on without needed a verbal reply to know that Tsukishima was listening. And if Yachi and Hinata were to be believed, then Yamaguchi liked things about Tsukishima too. Even things he never told Tsukishima to his face.

He sighed, back pressing against the wall as he shut his eyes. That's right. Nothing had changed. They were still the same Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Their relationship had just… elevated a bit, and there was no standard or guideline they could follow for that. The only gay couples Tsukishima even knew of hadn't been immediately lovey-dovey around each other when they first got together either. Tsukishima had once thought that was because they'd been actively hiding their relationship, but maybe that's just how relationships worked?

And even if it wasn't, there was no need for him and Yamaguchi to push themselves to do things they weren't ready for. It was _their_ relationship, and they'd go about it their _own_ way. At their _own_ pace.

"Tsukishima?"

He opened his eyes, not surprised to see Daichi and Sugawara standing in front of him. Daichi opened his mouth to speak again when his own boyfriend tugged at the arm that was wrapped around his waist. Sugawara winked at Tsukishima over Daichi's shoulder.

"Don't bother, Dai-kun. He's figured it out."

Daichi raised an eyebrow, but smiled when Tsukishima nodded. And then they were gone. He only hoped that Sugawara was right. He and Yamaguchi should just take it slow. He didn't need to overthink things. So…

"Yamaguchi? I swear, if you're still not ready I will _actually_ leave you behind for once."

"Ah! C-coming, Tsukki!"

Yamaguchi was bolting out the doorway the next second. His face is a little red and he's holding a piece of paper covered in handwriting that looked remarkably like Hinata's in his free hand. Tsukishima eyes it as he locks up the club room.

"What's that?"

"Oh, this? I found it when looking for Suga-san's phone. It looks like a late math assignment by Hinata." Yamaguchi's lips quirked to the side. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how horrific do you think it is?"

God, Tsukishima really struck gold with Yamaguchi, didn't he? The hand-holding could wait.

*\/*

Who would've thought that a relationship could be so easy?

By the end of their first official week as boyfriends, Tsukishima could honestly say that he was starting to get the hang of it all. Of course, that could possibly be because almost _nothing_ had changed in regards to how they acted around each other, but that was still fine. They would go about it at their own pace. And since Tsukishima knew that Yamaguchi was the most at ease with new things if he was allowed to approach it himself, he would just have to wait for Yamaguchi to make the first moves.

And that wasn't to say that things weren't changing at all.

Tsukishima had started returning the smiles that Yamaguchi sent him throughout the day with little ones of his own. The rest of the team who hadn't made the connection on the first day noticed and also sneakily announced their approval. And it made Yamaguchi happy, so there was that, too. Their knees still knocked together during lunch hour, water breaks, and while studying. They still weren't holding hands, but that was fine. Tsukishima was more than willing to just hang back and wait for his boyfriend to work up the nerve.

"Ah, Tsukki? I'm heading this way."

Of course, there were still times when Tsukishima's resolve was tested.

The classic movie scene where the boy and girl share a quick peck before parting, the one who received the kiss blushing and unable to move as they watch the other hurry off into the dark flashed behind Tsukishima's eyes. He felt stuck. He knew he and Yamaguchi were taking it slow and he needed to wait for Yamaguchi to make the first move… but didn't that mean _he_ could make a few moves himself?

Just small ones, of course. A kiss on the cheek would be harmless enough, right? But what if he freaked Yamaguchi out? What if by kissing him on the cheek, Tsukishima threw him off for practice? None of the other couples he knew exchanged kisses before or during practice. At least not that Tsukishima knew of.

Maybe he could just ask for permission? Be a gentleman?

Humming to make sure the words wouldn't get stuck in this throat, Tsukishima opened his mouth and said, "...Don't forget to study for the math test tomorrow."

He was a goddamn coward. That's what he was.

Yamaguchi's eyes zipped up to meet his and one of those heart melting smiles appeared on his face. Oh goodness… had Yamaguchi been pouting because he couldn't finish the walk with him? This boy was going to be the end of him.

"I won't. I still have the notes you gave me yesterday. Well... good night."

"...Good night."

Yamaguchi gave him a little wave before turning to the right and walking off. Tsukishima took one step in the opposite direction before pausing, watching his boyfriend walk off for another few seconds. Was he… skipping? No, there was just a little bounce in his step. Was that because of him? The thought made something sputter in Tsukishima's chest…

He almost wishes he could go with him. Maybe watch as he practiced with Shimada-san. Would it be any different from when he practiced at the gym? Could he ask to join him next time? Did he dare? Would it be awkward? Would he throw Yamaguchi off his game?

Yes, was probably the correct answer to that last one. Back when Tsukishima was pretty sure that Yamaguchi had developed a crush on him, he remembered the boy becoming oddly jittery and an even bigger emotional wreck around him. Especially during volleyball practice. Maybe later, once they settled deeper into their relationship?

The thought sent another little thrill through his chest and Tsukishima finally turned to continue walking home, lifting his headphones up to cover his red ears.

*\/*

The very next morning, Tsukishima immediately knew something was wrong with Yamaguchi. Firstly, he was too quiet. There had been no texts since yesterday afternoon and their whole walk to school had been in silence. Even when Tsukishima himself attempted to break it, his boyfriend was remarkably tight-lipped.

And that was the second clue: Yamaguchi was fuzzing out. It was sort of a by-product of his anxiety. When it got really high Yamaguchi often was tugged so deep into his own thoughts that he struggled when trying to escape back into the real world. It was like middle school all over again, and it was painful for Tsukishima to watch. Yamaguchi jumped every time he was addressed directly during morning practice and even then he zoned back out the same minute he didn't have something to do.

After nudging Yamaguchi for the third time since practice ended, prompting him to finish pulling his school shirt over his head so they could go to class, Tsukishima felt like he was running low on options. It was becoming exceedingly rare for Yamaguchi to not go to Tsukishima when he had a problem, so for him to still be in the dark about what this was all about was starting to worry him. But asking him point blank didn't guarantee answers, either. If anything, it could easily make Yamaguchi feel even worse knowing that he'd caused others to worry about him. And now that they were boyfriends, who knows how he'd interpret that?

It wasn't until they were eating lunch that a terrible idea came to him.

 _Did he come out to his parents?_

Side-eyeing his boyfriend, Tsukishima took note of everything from his bento box to his expression as he ate. After a few seconds of careful observation, he forced the thought out of his mind.

 _No…_ He reasoned. _They've given more hints than my mother did about us being a couple. It's got to be something else._

Once again completely lost with no leads, all Tsukishima could do was keep an eye on Yamaguchi for the rest of the day. He hoped that Yamaguchi's teachers didn't notice the boy's spaciness, but considering how afternoon practice went, there was no guarantee. Yamaguchi was fumbling and nearly got swiped across the face with a volleyball more than once. Not even coach's sharp words were enough to pull him out for more than a minute or two.

Tsukishima thanked every deity he could think of once basic training was finally over. Even though there was still an unofficial half hour left for everyone to focus on their own strengths until the coach yelled at them to go home, that meant that Yamaguchi could go be off in his own little world and Tsukishima wouldn't have to worry about somebody breaking his face.

With his fingers just barely brushing the small of Yamaguchi's back, Tsukishima led his boyfriend over to their pile of stuff that lined the gym wall. His boyfriend gave him a gentle smile before bending down to grab his water bottle, unaware of how Tsukishima was still watching him. As much as he wanted to stop worrying, he was going to be on the other side of the gym working on his own blocking practice, so he wouldn't be able to-

He darted his hand out and snatched the water bottle from Yamaguchi's hand. His boyfriend starts and watches and Tsukishima flips the bottle right side up. There's already a small puddle of water on the ground now between Yamaguchi's feet, but there's not much they can do about that right now so Tsukishima doesn't bother giving it a second thought.

"Ah… thanks, Tsukki."

"Be more careful next time."

Yamaguchi turns away, staring at the ceiling and completely missing how Tsukishima is now mentally kicking himself. Why couldn't he just ask outright? Clearly, whatever it is, it's bugging Yamaguchi far more than Tsukishima thought at first. Maybe he should ask if Yamaguchi wanted to head out early? That way he'd be able to interrogate his boyfriend without any other prying ears?

Trying to work up his nerve, Tsukishima opened his mouth-

"Hey, Yamaguchi!" Nishinoya bounded over, one hand waving wildly above his head as he asked Yamaguchi to send him a few jump-floats. At first, Tsukishima was disappointed in himself. Then he leveled a glare at Nishinoya for, unknowingly, cutting him off.

But then he saw the upper classman's face as Yamaguchi went off to grab a ball cart. The big smile disappeared and his eyebrows creased. He gave Tsukishima a similar glance before giving Yamaguchi another smile and following him and the ball cart over to Asahi at the other end of the gym.

It doesn't surprise Tsukishima in the slightest that the others have noticed Yamaguchi's strange behavior. Or that they're clearly worried about him. Even Tanaka, in the midst of either gloating or cursing Tsukishima's name whenever he lobs a spike in the blond's direction, managed to ask about Yamaguchi's health and private life. Even if the teasing jab about their relationship wasn't strictly necessary, Tsukishima is glad that his boyfriend has such a dependant and caring support group.

Fifteen minutes later and Yamaguchi is finally acting like normal again. Tsukishima isn't the only one watching him hit serve after serve, but he is the only one who's watching Yamaguchi's face rather than the ball, he's pretty sure. While the others might like guessing if Nishinoya was going to pull another "dramatic" save or not, Tsukishima prefered to watch his boyfriend's expressions. How his eyes had a razer-edge focus up until he hit the ball. The way his eyes sparkled and he fist pumped whenever he scored a point and the pout of his lip when Nishinoya caught the ball.

He was more than just a little cute and Tsukishima found himself struggling once against the urge to kiss him.

Then, the peace is shattered. Whatever Yamaguchi had forgotten about while being absorbed in his serves was lost, and Tsukishima wonders if, perhaps, he finally knows why. It's just a possibility, of course, but he thinks that maybe Yamaguchi might be experiencing the same thing he was a week ago.

He had been totally fine until Nishinoya brought up his relationship with Asahi… could it be that Yamaguchi was also unsure of what to do now that he and Tsukishima were together? Was he wondering if Tsukishima wanted more than what Yamaguchi was willing to give this early in the relationship? Could this all just be nerves?

Watching the way Yamaguchi's eyes dart between Sugawara and Daichi is all the proof Tsukishima needs.

He can hold off on the kissing for now. If Yamaguchi needed reassurance that they were still best friends who just _happened_ to also be dating, then that's what Tsukishima would give. He quietly slid away from the net and gathered up his and Yamaguchi's things in his arms before making his way to his boyfriend.

"Hey, want to head out early? I don't think they're going to notice we're missing. At least not before practice is called to an end."

Once Yamaguchi nodded, he led the way to the door. Yamaguchi's eyes had glazed over once again as he started drifting. Tsukishima hummed before gently bumping their shoulders together. Yamaguchi blinked rapidly, turning to look up at him with a soft pout.

"Your serves are looking better."

Immediately he perked up. "You really think so? Thanks, Tsukki!"

Nice.

*\/*

The next few days are better. Or, more specifically, Yamaguchi is better.. He's back to smiling and chatting and he no longer spaced out during practice. There were still some instances where Tsukishima caught his boyfriend gazing out at seemingly nothing, but at this point he was "counting his blessings" and letting it go unquestioned.

He pushes open the door for Class 1-4 and is not disappointed by the outright _beam_ shot at him from Yamaguchi's desk. Tsukishima's boyfriend jumps up from his desk, his bento already in hand as he races for the door.

"Hi, Tsukki! So, you'll never guess what-"

"Yamaguchi-san? Please take these notebooks to the faculty room and leave them at my desk before lunch."

Tsukishima let out a small groan at the interruption, and from the looks of it Yamaguchi felt the same. He watched as his boyfriend turned around and walked over to the front desk. The pile of journals came up to _Tsukishima's_ neck and immediately his heart went out to his boyfriend.

"Want some help?"

"No, I'll be fine." Yamaguchi sighed before giving Tsukishima another small side smile. "Thanks for the offer, Tsukki, but you should go make sure no one takes our spot outside."

 _I don't give a damn about someone taking our spot. I'd rather just spend time with you._

But that would just make Yamaguchi feel bad, so instead Tsukishima agreed. He reached out and plucked his boyfriend's bento out of his hand, as both a kind gesture and a potential hostage.

"Don't take too long," he reminded Yamaguchi before walking out of the room.

"Sure thing."

And then he was alone.

Tsukishima takes his sweet time walking outside and getting settled beneath their tree. He didn't like eating without Yamaguchi by his side. And there were a number of reasons for that, such as just enjoying his boyfriend's company to Yamaguchi's ability to fill up the silence with his cute demeanor. But the number one reason was that when they were together, even before they were _together_ , Tsukishima wasn't bothered as much by the girls who had the unfortunate luck of developing a crush on him.

Sure enough, it hasn't even been a full three minutes of him sitting outside before a girl approached.

Tsukishima sees her coming the moment she sets foot outside. He'd been watching the door hoping to catch a glimpse of Yamaguchi, but instead it's a blonde-haired girl with ribbons tied around her braids. She's shyly sneaking her way towards him, like she's worried someone might see her. Tsukishima glues his eyes to the opened bento in his lap, hoping the girl will either lose courage, get the memo, or trip over a tuft of grass and hit her head hard enough to either pass out or forget about Tsukishima's existence entirely.

No such luck. He sees her shoes come together just a few steps away from his spot of grass. He fights against the knee-jerk reaction to look up at her. There's still time left for her to lose her nerve…

"Excuse me? Tsukishima-san?"

Dammit.

"Yes? What do you want?"

"Ah… I was wondering where Yamaguchi-san was?"

"He had to take some journals to the teacher's lounge."

"So, you're only going to be alone for another few minutes, huh?"

"Yes."

"So…"

Finally his patience runs out, and he looks up at her, eyes narrow. "Either spit it out of leave me alone. This is getting annoying." And stressful. Everything about this girl's presence is grating on Tsukishima's nerves, from society's expectations of carrying on a conversation to exactly what this girl wanted to hear from him. Too much.

The girl's eyes widen before she sends him a glare of her own. "Well, if you're going to be so rude about it, then maybe I'll just tell my friend to not confess to you at all, you big jerk!"

"Good. Go do that. I would've only turned her down, anyways."

Clearly, that wasn't the answer she was expecting, and it only served to make the girl angrier. She stomped her foot on the ground. "Ugh! I don't know _what_ she sees in you! You- _argh_ , you _jerk!_ "

 _Then why are you still talking to me?_ Tsukishima ground his own teeth before snapping back, "If my 'jerk', you mean 'taken', then yes, I am a 'jerk'."

Another surprise. The girl blinks a few times, her fists unclenching from her skirt fabric. "Taken? What, you mean you're dating someone? Seriously?"

"Yes. Now please, go away before he rejoins me."

Tsukishima realized what he'd said the moment after he said it, but by then it was too late. The girl's eyes went wider than before and one of her hands came up to her mouth. Tsukishima wasn't sure if his face was red or pale, but he was starting to feel lightened. He didn't know who this girl was… what if she was a part of the school's rumor mill? What if she told her supposed "friend" that he and Yamaguchi were dating? Tsukishima wouldn't necessarily _mind_ others knowing they needed to back off, but what if-

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know." The girl looks down, her lips forming a small frown. "I guess that's probably why you get so annoyed with confessions, huh? Okay… okay, then. I'll let her down easy. I won't tell. I promise."

The breath Tsukishima had been holding rushed out of him. He almost smiled. But he stopped himself in time and just gave the girl a small bow of his head before she ran off.

Once she was out of the little courtyard, Tsukishima fished his phone out of his pocket, texting his boyfriend to hurry up. He didn't want any other unexpected guests to show up.

He receives a reply almost immediately.

 **Yams 3:** Omw Tsukki~

*\/*

They're in the club room when the next disaster strikes.

"No… no, no, noooo!" Yamaguchi drops his school bag to the floor, his knees right behind as his chin tucks into his chest. Tsukishima is instantly at his side, one hand resting on top of Yamaguchi's head while the other goes to the hand holding his school bag.

After a moment's consideration, he grabs it.

Yamaguchi's hand is warm, but not sweaty. His returning grip is secure as well, but almost gentle as he squeezes Tsukishima's fingers. It's possible that he's aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he has to be careful around his boyfriend's fingers. Could it be that he's been thinking about this moment for as long as Tsukishima has?

Shelving that thought for another time, Tsukishima let his other hand fall from Yamaguchi's head as he asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I… I forgot my water bottle at home." Yamaguchi's eyes squeezed shut, his words coming out a little garbled, like he was just barely holding back a sob, "I just… I thought I put it back in my bag and now I'm gonna have to by some water from the vending machine and I've already been doing so bad during practice these past few weeks and I can't believe I was so _stupid-_ "

"Woah, hey, stop that. You forgot your water bottle, so what? It's _fine._ Everyone else here has done that at least once or twice before. You're okay."

After a few deep breaths, Yamaguchi nods, but he still pulls his hand away from Tsukishima and presses his palms against his forehead. Tsukishima knows that if it were anyone else, he might've scoffed at their overreaction to something so small, but for some reason he doesn't feel annoyed. He actually feels like his heart might break for Yamaguchi. Over a water bottle. It's weird.

Trying to ignore the feeling, he digs around his own backpack before finding his coin purse. By some miracle, there are still a few 100 yen coins. He makes a fist around them before gently knocking at Yamaguchi's forehead, the part that isn't covered by his boyfriend's fingers.

Yamaguchi slowly lowers his hands, but he doesn't look back up at Tsukishima until the coins are dropped into his right hand.

"I- Tsukki, you don't have to-"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi." Tsukishima can't resist giving Yamaguchi's fingers a brief squeeze before he pulled away. "Go buy your water. I'll take the rest of your stuff down to the gym."

"...Thank you, Tsukki." Yamaguchi leans forward a bit, and for a moment Tsukishima wonders if he's about to get a 'thank-you' kiss… but then his boyfriend is standing up and walking out the door. Tsukishima stares after him for a moment before standing up as well. There are no mirrors in the club room, but if he had to guess, his cheeks were probably a deep red.

Maybe it was a good thing that they weren't holding hands in public yet. If Tanaka or Noya saw Tsukishima blushing up to his ears just by holding Yamaguchi's hand, he'd never hear the end of it. And _god help him_ if Kuroo or Bokuto got wind of that.

Once the two gym bags are slung over Tsukishima's shoulder, he makes his way out the door. And, as per usual, all he could think about was Yamaguchi. His boyfriend seemed to be getting worse all over again, and Tsukishima didn't know what to do. He didn't want to overwhelm him with questions, but if he didn't know what was going on how was he supposed to help? Because not doing anything… it was starting to feel like not enough.

"What? Of course you're doing enough."

Tsukishima tugged at the bottom of his shirt, looking anywhere but at Sugawara. The vice captain was sure to have on of his signature, if not increasingly rare, "soft-senpai" look. The ones where it was obvious that he was really feeling the "team mom" vibe. Tsukishima didn't receive those looks often, even before the stress of getting to nationals started wringing Sugawara's gentleness dry. The knowledge that he had created the look again felt odd to him, so he did his best to ignore it.

"Are you sure?" His tugging was more like wringing now as he glanced towards the side doors yet again. Why wasn't Yamaguchi back yet? "I just… I don't know what's wrong and everyone expects me to know…"

"Hold up. First of all: no, we don't. We're just as concerned as you are about Yamaguchi, and you're the closest person to him, so of course you are going to be who we ask. But that doesn't mean you've failed because you don't know."

Tsukishima felt a little bit of weight fall off his shoulders, if not all. He knew he'd made a good choice coming to Suga about this. Still…

"I just feel like I'm failing at this whole 'dating' thing. He's been like this ever since I became his-"

"Nope! Quick that!"

"Ouch!" Tsukishima quickly let go of his shirt, hands coming up to rub at the top of his head. Geez, was he trying to make Tsukishima as dumb as Hinata? How come Suga only ever hit _him_ on the head?

"You are not to blame for Yamaguchi's weird behavior, and it's not because he's regretting going out with you or whatever the heck was going through your head right then! So you stop that! You two were inevitable in my eyes, and literally no one was surprised by it, so stop overthinking or I'll have to hit you again!"

"Please don't!"

Suga's frown softened and he straightened his back. "Good. Now, I don't know Yamaguchi as well as you do, so I'm just going to recommend you keep doing what you've been doing. If you think that waiting for Yamaguchi to make the first move is the best option, then that's what you should do. He's still Yamaguchi, after all. He's still the same person you became best friends with all those years ago, so you know best how to help him. You don't need anyone's help with this. Now… if you ever need _real_ relationship advice, feel free to come to me. I promise it won't hit you ever time."

"That's good to hear."

Tsukishima knew that he should feel somewhat embarrassed that he'd just basically promised to ask Sugawara for relationship advice in the future… but for some reason he didn't. If anything, it made him feel better knowing that Suga would be waiting for it.

The Hinata and Kageyama ran into the gym like they were being chased and everyone started getting ready for practice to really begin.

*\/*

They were alone in the club room. For the first time since the night of their first day as a couple. Which was, according to Tsukishima's calendar, almost a full month ago. Yes, he'd written it down so he wouldn't forget, now _shut up._

Yamaguchi had been on edge all practice long and Tsukishima knew his boyfriend was starting to reach the end of his rope. He wasn't spacing out any more, which was a good sign, but his hands were shaking and he looked like he was about to explode. Which is probably why Tsukishima was prepared for Yamaguchi's shout once they were sure the rest of the team were far enough out of earshot.

"I'm so freaking oblivious!"

Tsukishima hummed in response, looking down at his boyfriend who was now sitting on the floor by his feet. He was quiet as Yamaguchi screamed into his hands, fighting back the part of him that wanted to crouch down and wrap his arms around the other. If Yamaguchi was finally about to spill what had been bothering him so much, Tsukishima wasn't going to risk anything. He chose his next few words carefully.

"What are you so oblivious about?" _And does it have anything to do with the Freak Duo being all weird tonight?_ Those two had better not said anything to Yamaguchi to set him off or Tsukishima was going to-

Yamaguchi's head hit the lockers behind him with a thump as he looked up at Tsukishima. "Oh, nothing, Tsukki… just the fact that I didn't know the entire volleyball club was made up of couples until I saw them going on dates or using _pet names or kissing AGAINST A WALL!_ "

His boyfriend cut himself off with another scream before his hands smacked and rubbed against his cheeks, looking like he was trying to remove his freckles just like when they were younger. "Because, you know, I couldn't pick up on the not-so-subtle signs beforehand! God, I'm a moron…"

Woah, hold on, pump the breaks there. Yamaguchi? A moron? Sorry, does not compute. Error message. Try again later.

As badly as Tsukishima wanted to say that…

"You seriously didn't notice?"

" _No…_ "

Tsukishima couldn't believe it. All this time he thought something terrible had happened to Yamaguchi, but in reality he was just in shock at the amount of gayness in their everyday lives? Really? That was it? Tsukishima had lost sleep over this! This was such…

A relief. Tsukishima didn't know what he would've done if Yamaguchi was dealing with homophobic parents or internalized homophobia or… he didn't even know what else. And it was only this… which probably explained Hinata and Kageyama's heightened dumbassery during practice, too.

Still, it was a big surprise to learn that Yamaguchi had only learned about the others _now._ As far as he was aware, some of the couples like Sugawara and Daichi had been dating for almost two years, meaning they were more than comfortable with PDA once the secret came out.

Suppose all that's left to do is to help Yamaguchi jump over his latest social-cue hurdle.

"How is that possible? Most of them are all over each other during practice."

"I see that _now!_ I guess before, I just…"

"You just… what?"

Yamaguchi looked away, one of his hands dropping to toy with the hem of his practice shorts. "I mean, I guess I sort of _knew,_ I just never connected the final piece."

Tsukishima hummed as Yamaguchi listed some of the couples he'd suspected beforehand. Yes, those three were the most obvious of them all… He pulled his practice shirt off as his boyfriend spoke. This was kinda funny now that he thought about it. All this time Tsukishima thought it was _their_ relationship Yamaguchi was worrying about. Nope. He was just freaking out over _every other relationship in existence._

"I suppose your, quote unquote, "obliviousness" isn't entirely your fault. Until Suga-san figured out that Coah and Sensei were a couple, everyone else did their best to keep their relationships under wraps. They all only recently decided to be more open about their relationships around the rest of the club, figuring that if everyone else was gay, no one was going to give them shit for it."

"Why didn't you ever _tell me?_ You clearly knew about it!"

"You're the one who talks the most when we walk home. Since you never brought it up I assumed you didn't want to talk about it or found it interesting." Tsukishima caught the end of Yamaguchi's glare before his boyfriend dropped his forehead against his knees, his arms wrapping around his legs.

"I feel like an idiot."

Ugh, that word again. Tsukishima couldn't resist letting his tongue click in response. He hated it when Yamaguchi was talked down, especially by Yamaguchi himself. Placing Yamaguchi's school clothes on top of his head, Tsukishima searched for a way to cheer his boyfriend up.

"Don't forget to change. And I disagree with you. Now… if you had been unaware that _we've_ been dating, then you might've been an idiot, but-"

"Wait, we're _what?"_

 _...No._

Those words could not have possibly come out of Yamaguchi's mouth.

They're staring at each other, Tsukishima looking all over Yamaguchi's face is search of a tell. Holding back his laughter. A teasing smirk. A raised eyebrow. _Something._

But no. Yamaguchi looks just as floored as Tsukishima felt. Words don't compute in Tsukishima's head until Yamaguchi's school clothes slide off the boy's head and land behind him with a soft ' _thump_ '. And the sight of Yamaguchi's cowlick springing back up is so cute that Tsukishima finally remembers how to speak Japanese.

"Please don't say I heard you right."

"Tsukki… did you say that we're _dating?_ "

"Oh god, you did say it." If it weren't for the blush now covering up Yamaguchi's whole face, Tsukishima might've had a different reaction. Same way as if Yamaguchi's breath hadn't caught or if his question didn't have that thread of hope in it. So, he burst out laughing.

"Oh my god! You actually didn't _know?_ "

"W-wait! You aren't joking? When did this happen? Why… why haven't you… why didn't you _say something, Tsukki, Jesus!_ "

What else could he do? The whole thing was just so ridiculous… he'd been so worried that Yamaguchi's problem had to do with being unhappy with their relationship and he didn't even _know they were in a relationship to begin with!_ Maybe if Tsukishima was worried that Yamaguchi didn't actually return his feelings he would've been less entertained, but Yachi's words from a month ago about Yamaguchi going on and on about his crush on Tsukishima were still locked in his memory.

So, with nothing to worry about, he laughed.

"I asked you out on our first date three weeks ago!"

"What?"

"You don't remember?" Tsukishima knelt down beside who he thought was his boyfriend and hopefully still was, barely refraining from reaching out and tugging at the cowlick. "We were watching that weird mermaid documentary you were so excited about and when you came back from the kitchen you brought out two slices of strawberry shortcake. You said you spent the whole day trying making it, knowing I was coming over. And after I took a moment to process how absolutely adorable you looked with your big proud smile and the plates of cake in hand, I said-"

"Date me."

Oh my. This was _delicious._ Yamaguchi's face went another shade darker as he clapped his hands over his mouth. His eyes went wide in either mortification or realization, Tsukishima couldn't tell. This was probably just the cherry on top of what had been a long three weeks for Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima was really enjoying it. After everything Yamaguchi had unknowingly put him through, this was the _least_ Yamaguchi could do for him.

… He went through the 'first-month-of-dating' jitters all by himself!

Yamaguchi's face had disappeared once again, but Tsukishima wasn't letting him off the hook that easy! He sat down and scooted over until he was sitting comfortably beside Yamaguchi, a teasing lit in his voice as he continued, "So you do remember. When you smiled, blushed, and said 'Sure, so long as you don't hog the bed covers', I assumed that you understood I was being serious about it."

"Oh my god, I _am_ an idiot."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you this time around." He was going to have to apologize for that later, but for now Tsukishima was enjoying watching Yamaguchi squirm far too much. Yamaguchi shyly met Tsukishima's eyes for a second before looking away again.

"So… now what?"

Ah, Tsukishima had hoped for that question.

Fainting nonchalance, he hummed, "Well, since for the last three weeks only one of us was in a relationship, I'd like to think that if _both_ of us were in a relationship _together_ we'd be even happier."

"You… were happy to be dating me?"

Fuck, blushing was _not_ a part of the plan. Teasing. More teasing. Look _cool_.

"Yes, though now I'm concerned that I've been looking at your intelligence with rose-tinted glasses."

That seemed to do it. Yamaguchi's face disappeared against his knees, his arms coming up to hide the rest of it.

"Blocked."

A joke they used together. Too easy.

"Wait, unblock me, I have something important to tell you."

"Unblocked."

"Date me."

The squeak he received went straight into Tsukishima's 'Victory' tally marks. As did the "yes" he whispered out. But there was no way Tsukishima was done with the teasing. Maybe if he was lucky, he could get Yamaguchi's blush all the way down his chest, and he'd be able to see it when his now-definitely-official-boyfriend finally got changed.

""Yes" you will date me or "yes" something else? I've learned my lesson, Yamaguchi, and I won't make the same mistake twi- _mmMph?_ "

Okay, maybe he'd played that song a little too much. For a moment, all he could do was stare down at Yamaguchi's face which was far closer than it had ever been before. From what he could see, Yamaguchi's eyes were squeezed shut as he continued to kiss Tsukishima. He could also feel the other's hands clutching handfuls of his school uniform shirt. It would be wrinkled beyond belief once he finally let go…

 _His lips are just as soft as I thought they'd be._

Tsukishima's eyelids had just started to flutter closed when Yamaguchi pulled away. He almost reached out to pull his boyfriend back in. _No, wait,_ his thoughts complained. _I'm not done yet. More please._

"Guess I was right." The hand that had been reaching out was pulled back in to cover the blush that was _definitely_ spreading across his whole face. He switched to pushing his glasses up at the last second. _Damn you, pasty pale skin._ "Both of us dating is much better than just me dating you."

"You're so mean to me…" Yamaguchi's voice was soft. Similar to when he was just woken up from deep sleep. And it made Tsukishima's stomach do weird flippy things. But he liked it, he supposed.

"But I do it with affection."

"Still mean."

"Shall I make it up to you? We do have three weeks to catch up on."

"Tsukki, do me a favor and shut up."

"Help me out?"

Tsukishima didn't get the chance to cringe at his own dumb line before they were kissing again, his hands finally reaching up to cup Yamaguchi's cheeks. His boyfriend hummed, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Tsukishima's neck as they melted into the kiss.

 _Fuck hand holding,_ Tsukishima decides. And… oh. Oh? Yamaguchi was wearing chapstick. Strawberry flavored. Yachi's gift to Tsukishima for his birthday last September. One of the many things that they shared over the years… Tsukishima _thought_ he'd seen it in Yamaguchi's bedroom last. He was going to have to thank Yachi _again_ for it. Of course, that might lead to telling her exactly _why_ he was thanking her. But hey, Yamaguchi was probably going to tell her himself… wait.

With more self-restraint than he thought it would take, Tsukishima managed to pull away from the kiss. Yamaguchi's dreamy expression and breathy ' _what?_ ' almost pulled him back in, but he resisted. There was something he was curious about. Yamaguchi had only mentioned the _team members..._

"Does this mean you also didn't or you don't know that Yachi and Kiyoko-san are dating?"

"...Huh?"

"Dear god, I fell for one of the idiots I make fun of."

"Hm, maybe I am an idiot. I did say 'yes' to dating you." Oh, and there's the sharp wit. Tsukishima wishes he could take credit for corrupting Yamaguchi like that, but he really can't. His right hand trailed up to carefully tug at the cowlick.

"The second time I asked."

"This is going to be the story you use to embarrass me for the rest of our lives, isn't it?"

It was no longer just his face that felt warm. No, now it was his whole body, from his chest to his toes. If he didn't know any better, Tsukishima might've thought he was experiencing heartburn.

" _Absolutely,_ " he ended up whispering against Yamaguchi's lips.

The rest of their lives seemed to be shaping up really well so far.

* * *

 **In all honesty, I should be writing anything** _ **but**_ **this, but here I am and hopefully now that it's done I can actually start working on studying for my finals which start tomorrow… wish me luck!**

 **If people like this enough... I do maybe have an idea for an Akiteru chapter... maybe.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, this is significantly shorter than the last chapter, but I like it! Here it is, the promised third chapter in Akiteru's P.O.V.! I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: No, I don't own Haikyuu.**

* * *

Brothers and Brothers-in-Law

"I'm home!" Akiteru kicked his shoes off, taking a deep breath as he did so. His stomach rumbled at the delicious smell coming from the kitchen, yearning for the home cooking he missed so much.

His mother's enthusiastic welcome echoed through the doorway, accompanied by two lower voices that Akiteru recognized immediately. Looking down at where his shoes were now resting, he finally noticed that Tadashi's were there as well, resting right beside Kei's. Akiteru grinned, just as happy to see his brother's best friend as he was to see his actual brother.

Walking into the kitchen, Akiteru greeted his mother first. He bent down to accept the quick peck on the cheek and nodded when he was asked if he was hungry before he went searching for his brother. It didn't take long to find Kei or Tadashi, he just followed the sound of the television.

Akiteru walked into the sitting room and was greeted with the backs of two heads poking out above the edge of the couch, the two boys facing the television. He didn't recognize the game being played, but he could tell it was his brother who was playing it. The little creature in the center of the screen was absolutely pummeling the monsters surrounding it.

Not wanting to disrupt his brother's concentration, Akiteru hung back for a moment to watch. His eyes dropped slightly to watch the back of his brother's head when he noticed something rather… odd. Well, not odd. It was more sweet, really. Tadashi, who was watching Kei's progression just like Akiteru was, had his head resting on Kei's shoulder. If he hadn't called out a welcoming when Akiteru first arrived, he might've assumed that Tadashi was asleep.

Akiteru smiled at the cute sight. He remembered when Kei and Tadashi were younger, how they practically cuddled up on the couch to watch movies and play games. They had drifted apart physically as they got older, especially when Kei and Akiteru hit a bump in their relationship, and Akiteru would never forget the heartbreak in Little Tadashi's eyes when Kei first pushed the other boy away on movie night.

It was a great moment to see Kei so relaxed again around his friend.

"Boys! Dinner's ready!"

Without hesitation, Kei paused his game and stretched his arms above his head, dislodging Tadashi from his shoulder. The other boy let out a small whine, but stood up anyways, stretching as well. He looked over his shoulder and jumped a bit upon seeing Akiteru standing behind them. Then he smiled and gave the older boy a cute little wave.

"Hello, Aki-niisan! How was your trip?"

"Uneventful, but that's a good thing! How have you been, Tadashi."

"Uh…" At the question, Tadashi looked down at Kei, his cheeks redding a bit as he smiled. "I've been… great. It's been great."

"Well, that's good!"

"Boys! I need your help setting the table!"

Akiteru spun around to call back, "Okay, Mom! We'll be right there!" He could smell meat from the sitting room and his stomach growled lowly again. He couldn't remember the last time his mother cooked meat for dinner. A part of him wondered if they were celebrating anything… but when nothing came to mind, he brushed off the confusion and walked to the kitchen to help set the table. Kei and Tadashi were right behind him.

*\/*

A volcano eruption couldn't have been louder than the roar of the stadium as the volleyball slammed itself for the last time onto the floor… on the _opponent's side of the net._ Hinata landed from his last jump just in time for Kageyama to scoop him up in what looked like a crushing bear hug.

Akiteru's throat felt scrubbed raw and he definitely wouldn't have a voice tomorrow, but he continued to cheer on regardless. Shouting himself hoarse, he jumped around at the side railing as the Karasuno team poured onto the court in chaotic celebration. They had done it! Karasuno High School was going to nationals for the second time in three years.

He watched as, just like in their first year, Tadashi launched himself at Kei for a hug. The difference now was that Kei was ready for it, looping his arms around Tadashi #1 jersey and lifting him high, the two boys spinning around and screaming in celebration. Tadashi might've been crying, his face buried into the #2 on Kei's own jersey.

Akiteru felt tears streaming down his cheeks, but he ignored them in favor of jumping around more, waving for his brother's attention. A second later and Kei set Tadashi down on his own two feet, the two still hugging each other tightly.

Kei lifted his head and his eyes found Akiteru's. Without hesitation, Kei flashed a peace sign up to his brother, a small smile on his face. A sob bubbled up before Akiteru could stop it and he buried his face in his hands, completely missing how the rest of the Karasuno team ran to dogpile their Captain and Vice Captain.

*\/*

Job hunting was exhausting.

Letting out a soft groan, Akiteru rolled his neck around, trying to relieve some of the uncomfortable pressure. He wanted to loosen his tie, but decided to wait until he was in Kei and Tadashi's apartment, just so there wasn't a risk of him losing it forever or looking ruffled in public. Of course, thinking of Kei and Tadashi's apartment brought forth a surge of pride for his little brother that Akiteru couldn't contain.

He smiled to himself as he exited the subway, remembering the way Kei's eyes had grown huge at the letter that contained his full-ride scholarship. Up until that point, Akiteru hadn't been completely sold on the idea of his little brother pursuing a teaching degree, but Kei's excitement left no room for doubt. Maybe it had something to do with Tadashi attending the same school for the same degree? The two of them had grown even closer during their high school years. Akiteru supposed it made sense that they would share more than a few passions.

Now, a few months into their first year of college, the boys were settled in an apartment just a few blocks away from campus and, according to Kei's phone calls, they were enjoying life. Akiteru didn't know how he'd managed to keep himself from visiting them for so long.

His excitement made him walk faster than usual, and he appeared at Kei and Tadashi's door nearly twenty minutes earlier than planned.

Knocking cheerfully at the door, Akiteru looked around at his surroundings. The complex looked clean and sturdy, if not a little small. He wondered if the apartment was a little cramped with two grown men living in it. Did they even have two bedrooms, or did one of them sleep in the living room on a futon?

The sound of a lock brought Akiteru's attention back to the door, and he beamed as his brother's usual morning scowl greeted him.

"Morning, Kei! Pardon the intrusion!" Akiteru ruffled his brother's complete mess of a bedhead before walking inside. He got his hand swatted away and a grumble for his efforts, but he didn't much care. "Were you really still sleeping when I knocked? At this hour? Tadashi's sleeping habits must be rubbing off on you!"

"Hey, now!" A voice called out from the doorway on the right. "There's nothing wrong with liking some extra sleep!"

Squeezing past his brother in the narrow hallway, Akiteru hurried into the kitchen and greeted Tadashi with a grand, "Ah! If it isn't my _favorite_ little brother!"

His loud voice so nearby startled Tadashi a little, as the man squeaked in surprise, the pan of eggs in his hands dipping enough to hit the stove top again. Akiteru laughed and apologized, even though the embarrassed blush on Tadashi's face was quite adorable. He was also wearing what Akiteru recognized as his sleep clothes; a pair of grey sweatpants and an old t-shirt of Kei's. When his brother had started the tradition of giving the shirts he'd outgrown to his friend, Akiteru didn't know, but it didn't look like he was planning to stop.

Just then, Kei plodded into the kitchen with a yawn. The kitchen wasn't very big, and he had to keep one hand on Tadashi's back to keep the other man from backing into him as he opened a nearby cabinet.

"Do you want a drink, Niisan?"

"Just water, please."

Kei pulled out three cups and slid around Tadashi, getting himself hip checked in the process by a smirking Tadashi. Akiteru rolled his eyes at the teasing. They may be college students, but they clearly still had a bit of high school teasing in their brains.

"So, Aki-niisan, how was your interview?"

"Oh gosh, I don't even know…"

*\/*

Akiteru was shivering frantically as he finally walked inside the house. It felt colder this year than last year! How was that fair?

"Aki-chan? Is that you?"

"Yeah, I'm home, Mom!"

As he removed his shoes and outerwear, another voice called out, "You're back later than we expected. Dinner's almost ready."

"I ran into an old friend after making my New Year's wish, Yamaguchi-san. She insisted we catch up."

"Ah, a _she?_ Would this be someone we know?"

Akiteru's face heated up, and he was glad that neither his mother nor Tadashi's parents could see him at that moment. While he adored the Yamaguchi's, who had become second parents to him and Kei over the years, it almost meant he had three parents who enjoyed teasing him about girls and the like.

"It was Tanaka Saiko-san, Yamaguchi-san. Her younger brother used to play with Tadashi and Kei in high school."

"Oh?"

His mother's tone was practically _dripping_ in curiosity and innuendos. He needed an escape. _Now._

He carefully peeked his head around the corner of the kitchen doorway, hoping beyond hope that his red face would be dismissed as from the cold outdoors. "Uh, how about I go get Tadashi and Kei for dinner. You mentioned it was almost done?"

"It is." His mother's smile was still rather sinister in a teasing way, so Akiteru quickly nodded and ran up the stairs as fast as possible, the adult's laughter trailing behind him. Once he got to the second floor, he took a moment to catch his breath.

He really didn't mind the Yamaguchi's staying over. It wasn't there fault the earthquake sent a tree into their house, and they really were a joy to be around. It was nice to have someone around Akiteru could (mentally) call "Dad". And then there was Tadashi to consider.

Smiling to himself, Akiteru walked past his old room where the Yamaguchi's were using until their house was mended and stopped in front of Kei's old room. He went to open the door, only to find it locked. The doorknob jiggled as he attempted to twist it around, and he heard a startled squeak from the other side of the door. What was that?

Knocking, he leaned his ear against the wood. "Kei? Tadashi?"

"What is it?" Kei's sharp, annoyed tone had Akiteru pulling back in shock for a moment before he leaned in again.

"It's time for dinner… are you two alright?"

"We're fine, Aki-niisan!" Tadashi sounded a little breathless. Had he really scared him that badly? "We'll be… we'll be down in a bit!"

There was the sound of Kei's bed creaking and Akiteru nodded to himself, glad to hear movement. Satisfied, he went to walk back downstairs. His heart rate had settled… perhaps he could handle talking about Saiko with his "parents" now?

*\/*

Life went by too quickly. Akiteru felt like he blinked twice and he was suddenly standing in the audience for Kei and Tadashi's college graduation. Yamaguchi's mother filmed the moment, which was a good call because the other three were crying so hard they wouldn't have been able to follow the boy's progression with the camera if they'd tried. Akiteru wished Saiko had been able to come along, just so he could've had a shoulder to cry onto, but she was on tour at the moment so he had to go without.

Even if he had to bite down on his fingers to no sob when Kei flashed a peace sign after he received his diploma. He couldn't believe how fast his brother had grown up. He and Tadashi already had jobs lined up for the following school year, in the same town even! Kei would be teaching 3rd-year High School science while Tadashi was a Kindergarten teacher. They had an apartment leased, class plans scheduled out, and a bright future. Akiteru felt old, but content.

After what felt like an eternity, the ceremony was over and everyone was flooding outside into the warm April air. Akiteru was on his tip-toes, trying to spot the boys over the crowds of people. Usually the boy's heights made it easy to find them, but the crowd was so large…

By his side, the three adults were simply chatting excitedly among themselves. Akiteru didn't listen in until his mother started _giggling._ He blinked and looked over, momentarily distracted.

"How do you think Tadashi-kun is going to react?"

"Oh, he'll definitely cry. He's like his father that way."

Tadashi's father shook his head with a smile, but didn't deny the claim. "He probably will cry, but I doubt he'll be surprised. I think he was starting to consider asking Kei-chan himself. He _did_ get rather blushy whenever Miho or I asked him about them living together after college."

"Kei was the same!" Akiteru's mother pressed a hand to her cheek as she beamed. "He sounded so happy over the phone when he told me they found jobs in the same town!"

The three adults continued to coo over… whatever they were talking about. Akiteru didn't understand it, completely lost. It sound like Kei wanted to ask Tadashi an important question, but what could it be? They were already living together after this…

Shaking his head, Akiteru went back to looking for the pair. He was barely looking for a minute before he spotted them. Bouncing in place, Akiteru raised a hand, trying to beckon them over. Tadashi saw him first, eyes lighting up as he started dragging Kei in their direction.

Akiteru was beaming, watching as they got closer, slipping through the crowd as it slowly dissipated. It wasn't until they were almost on top of them that Akiteru noticed the pair were holding hands. He felt his heart go a little extra mushy and warm at the sight, but at the same time he felt concerned. He'd noticed as the years went by that neither Kei nor Tadashi seemed to hold girlfriend's down for long. At least, never long enough to mention them to anyone else.

He couldn't help but wonder if their close friendship was the cause of that lack of romantic partnership in their lives. Sharing apartments, skinship, being attached by the hip, it was a shock that people didn't assume the boys were dating each other. Akiteru didn't know how to bring it up with his brother, but if something didn't change soon, he might be forced to… for Kei's sake.

A small little scream from his mother made Akiteru jump back into reality. He looked at her only to watch as Tadashi's mother rushed in between them to wrap Tadashi in a tight hug. Kei took a small step back from the pair, but didn't get very far before Yamaguchi-san shot her left hand out and grabbed the front of his dress shirt in her fist, dragging him into the hug.

Akiteru laughed along at Kei's mildly disgruntled expression which quickly softened as the blond wrapped his arms around the two Yamaguchi's… and that was when Akiteru noticed the ring on his brother's left hand. It was silver, or at least it looked like silver. And… there was a second one. On Tadashi's left hand.

Since when did they have matching rings? And the rings were one the fingers meant for-

Akiteru's thought process was interrupted by Tadashi escaping his mother's hug and running up to him, showing the older man the ring now on his left hand. He slapped a smile on his face.

"Congratulations!"

Tadashi giggled, "Thanks! It fits perfectly, too! I don't even want to know _how_ Kei-kun got my measurements without me knowing!"

As Tadashi turned around to show his father the ring, Akiteru felt his brain kick into overdrive. What was happening? Tadashi just got that ring, which probably meant that Kei got his own ring as well. Were they engaged to some girls Akiteru had never heard of? How would that go down with the apartment? Would the four of them live in a tiny apartment? After all, if they were close enough for Kei to get Tadashi's ring measurements for… wait, did Tadashi's girlfriend propose to him? It wasn't uncommon these days, but not something Akiteru would have expected, even though he didn't know the girl-

"Very nice choice." Tadashi's father was nodding at the ring on his son's finger before turning to face Kei, one eyebrow raised. "Did you..?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for the advice, Yamaguchi-san. It was exactly what I needed."

Tadashi whipped his head around, looking between his father and his best friend with wide eyes and an even wider smile. "What? What advice?"

Tadashi's father wrapped his hands around Tadashi's a thumb gently stroking the silver band. "Kei bought your rings at the same store I bought your mother's engagement ring."

Akiteru was struck silent even as Tadashi started crying, staring at the ring in shock. He listened mutely as the five people in front of him continued to exchange questions and stories about the… engagement that had just occurred.

Tadashi's mother finally checked her watch and said they needed to leave if they were going to make their lunch reservation. The group of six started walking, Tadashi taking Kei's hand and weaving their fingers together before leading the way. Akiteru was at the back, hardly able to tell if he was even alive at the moment.

Before long, his mother was at his side. "Honey? Are you alright? You look a bit pale."

Akiteru swallowed, his mouth unusually dry. "Mom… this might sound like a stupid question… but how long have Tadashi and Kei been dating?"

"Ever since their first year in high school. Maybe about halfway through the year?"

Akiteru nodded… horrified by how dumb he must be. With each step he took, another puzzle piece fell into place behind his eyes. If he were to sudden walk straight into a sinkhole, he'd be less surprised.

His mother watched his face for a few seconds before something clicked in her own eyes. She gasped softly before placing a hand on his upper shoulder. "Oh… Aki-chan… did you not know? This whole time?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Do you want me to fill you in later?"

He nodded.

"...I won't tell Kei."

"Thank you."

"Are you upset?"

Akiteru thought about it for a moment, staring hard at Tadashi and Kei's interlocked fingers just ahead of him. As he watched, Kei turned his head to the left and pressed a gentle kiss to Tadashi's temple, which made the other boy giggle and nuzzle his face against Kei's upper arm.

He wasn't upset that his younger brother was dating a boy. If anything, he suddenly realized how obvious the whole situation was. It had only ever been Tadashi. From the looks of it, it would continuing to only be Tadashi until the end of time. No… he wasn't upset about their relationship.

What he _was_ upset about was…

"He never even _told_ me!"

* * *

 **Obliviousness must run in the family!**

 **I typed this whole thing in less than an hour! And now it's done! Oh my gosh! Happy birthday to me!**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


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